Iran closes key Strait of Hormuz shipping route after ayatollah threatens to sink US warships - The strategic waterway has not been shut since the 1980s. The move comes amid ongoing tensions with the

The U.S. and Iran held their second round of talks about Iran’s nuclear program on Tuesday in Geneva as Iran said it will close the Strait of Hormuz for several hours for live fire military exercises and the United States ramps up its military forces in the region.

Amid the war in the Middle East, Iran has been targeting key energy infrastructure across the region. Tehran is also threatening energy exporters, warning that tankers entering the Strait of Hormuz — a narrow,

Supply chains rely on predictability. The persistent geopolitical uncertainty has complicated operations worldwide. Limited alternatives make the de facto closure of the strait of Hormuz all the more impactful. The longer the disruption persists, the more significant and structural the economic damage will become.

The Strait of Hormuz is the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which about a fifth of the world’s oil passes. Tankers traveling through the strait, which is bordered in the north by Iran, carry oil and gas from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain, the UAE and Iran. Most of that oil goes to Asia.

Oil prices jumped Monday as the widening war in Iran disrupted tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, highlighting how important the passageway is to the world's oil supply.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for oil and gas shipments, is unsafe due to US and Israeli attacks and was therefore closed to ships on Saturday, local media reported.

Ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz is facing disruption and confusion after a major US and Israeli attack on Iran and retaliatory action. US President Donald Trump launched what he called major combat operations against Iran after weeks of military buildup and posturing.